Just an aside, just a memory... I remember some things in my past with more vividness than other things that have happened more recently in my life. I think we all do. And I think we all remember the happy times with rose colored glasses.
For me, 1978-79 was a special time, hanging out with my friends in the Boy Scouts and talking about and learning about music. And the music was so varied at that time - it was really unique! I'm not sure that the music of any one country was so varied at any point ever before. Disco had stepped in. The Village People were huge following the disco craze of "Saturday Night Fever", and Blondie had a hit with "Heart Of Glass" (although they were really more of a punk-pop band). Bizarrely, The Who also released "Who Are You" with a disco-feel, but still including "Sister Disco" as a slap against disco. And then there were the Talking Heads. I remember seeing them perform on Saturday Night Live and my brother-in-law asking "What the fuck is this?". Not long after that the Rolling Stones released "Emotional Rescue". And almost unnoticed, there was Van Halen. I remember hearing "Runnin' With The Devil" on the radio and going to buy the album. Why? I'm not sure. It didn't really fit my criteria, but there was something about it that I liked. My friends liked the classics: Pink Floyd, The Doors, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, and so on... as did I. But I liked new stuff too. And I liked Van Halen. So when one of my friends asked me if he should buy the album I recommended it. At least it had "Runnin' With The Devil", right? But he hated it, and he slammed me for it. I felt bad. I'd let him down. I thought about it and I agreed that it was just OK. I apologized.
Looking back tonight, pretty much every track on "Van Halen" is a winner. "Runnin' With The Devil" includes interesting bits like Eddie scraping/grating his pick across the strings between the bridge and the tail at the start of the song, and then making it all seem somehow powerful and moving even at a slowed-down pace. It's really a classic song. Oh, and then there's "Eruption" - but 'Nuff said, - oh, wait, that's followed by a brilliant cover of The Kinks "You Really Got Me". And it just goes on from there.
So my point is that for years I've felt bad that I once recommended a "shit-ass" record to a friend of mine. I thought it had merit, but he pissed all over it. He held it against me.
In the end, Van Halen prevails. What do I gain in hindsight? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I can't say "I was right and you were wrong", and even if I could I wouldn't bother, that would just contribute to hard feelings. And it's not about being right; it's about having friends. Van Halen rocks, right? Or at least they used to... ...
So the point of this is to just forget it, forgive, and if you have to, smooth things over even if you don't feel that it's really your job to do so. Make a smile happen.
For me, 1978-79 was a special time, hanging out with my friends in the Boy Scouts and talking about and learning about music. And the music was so varied at that time - it was really unique! I'm not sure that the music of any one country was so varied at any point ever before. Disco had stepped in. The Village People were huge following the disco craze of "Saturday Night Fever", and Blondie had a hit with "Heart Of Glass" (although they were really more of a punk-pop band). Bizarrely, The Who also released "Who Are You" with a disco-feel, but still including "Sister Disco" as a slap against disco. And then there were the Talking Heads. I remember seeing them perform on Saturday Night Live and my brother-in-law asking "What the fuck is this?". Not long after that the Rolling Stones released "Emotional Rescue". And almost unnoticed, there was Van Halen. I remember hearing "Runnin' With The Devil" on the radio and going to buy the album. Why? I'm not sure. It didn't really fit my criteria, but there was something about it that I liked. My friends liked the classics: Pink Floyd, The Doors, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, and so on... as did I. But I liked new stuff too. And I liked Van Halen. So when one of my friends asked me if he should buy the album I recommended it. At least it had "Runnin' With The Devil", right? But he hated it, and he slammed me for it. I felt bad. I'd let him down. I thought about it and I agreed that it was just OK. I apologized.
Looking back tonight, pretty much every track on "Van Halen" is a winner. "Runnin' With The Devil" includes interesting bits like Eddie scraping/grating his pick across the strings between the bridge and the tail at the start of the song, and then making it all seem somehow powerful and moving even at a slowed-down pace. It's really a classic song. Oh, and then there's "Eruption" - but 'Nuff said, - oh, wait, that's followed by a brilliant cover of The Kinks "You Really Got Me". And it just goes on from there.
So my point is that for years I've felt bad that I once recommended a "shit-ass" record to a friend of mine. I thought it had merit, but he pissed all over it. He held it against me.
In the end, Van Halen prevails. What do I gain in hindsight? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I can't say "I was right and you were wrong", and even if I could I wouldn't bother, that would just contribute to hard feelings. And it's not about being right; it's about having friends. Van Halen rocks, right? Or at least they used to... ...
So the point of this is to just forget it, forgive, and if you have to, smooth things over even if you don't feel that it's really your job to do so. Make a smile happen.
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